Elevated insulin levels in Pima Indian adults compared to weight matched Caucasian controls suggest that cellular changes external to the pancreas may be important in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. The aim of this project is to study several aspects of insulin function in cells obtained from normal and diabetic Pima Indians, in order to determine if diabetes mellitus is expressed in genetic differences at the cellular level. Insulin binding and its relation to insulin levels is being assessed in circulating monocytes from normal and diabetic individuals. In addition, fibroblast cultures are being established from normal and diabetic Pima Indians. Parameters of cell growth are being compared in the normal and diabetic cells, and insulin binding is being studied. In addition, cellular metabolism and transport functions are being quantified in the presence and absence of insulin, in order to determine if cellular abnormalities in insulin response occur in individuals with diabetes. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Howard, B.V.: Acetate as a carbon source for lipid synthesis in cultured cell. Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1977 (in press). Howard, B.V.: Uptake of very low density lipoprotein triglyceride in bovine aortic endothelial cells in culture. J. Lipid Res. 1977 (in press).